Browse:ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS (Volume 4, entries 8881–9440)/Part 4
ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS
Volume 4, entries 8881–9440. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 9121
An' it's anothah one. If yo' should git in trouble, yo' take an' yo' write: Mark, Matthew, Luke an' John. [These names are written one under the other.] Den yo' take some sage an' put it right in de centah of it. (You write these names on a piece of paper?) Dat's right. (And you put that sage in the center of that paper?) Dat's right. An' yo' write chure name cross- ways, cross dose fo' names, an' yo' put it in yore shoe. An' yo' represent yo'- self jes' when yo' go in de co't an' de Lord will take de part wit chew.
Entry 9122
Git chew sage, yo've heard tell of sage, an' yo' git chew de seed of dat sage. Dere's so many seeds on it. Yo' see, dis is got out de Bible, de twelve [not 12 but 10] virgins [Matt.25:1] yo' know. [Rite has no con- nection with Bible.l Well, yo' git six of each one of dose seeds of dat sage, an' yo' put six in one shoe, an' six in de othah one. An' dey say whensomevah yo' go intuh de jailhouse fo' trial or somepin lak dat, why dey couldn't convict chew on dem sage. Yo'd come cleah regardless tuh whut kinda crime it wus or whut yo' wus 'cused of, or whethah yo' did it. Yo'd come cleah.
Entry 9123
[The statement in the following text about the tribes of Israel comes from hoodoo, not from a critical study of the historical sources.] De shoe business is lak dis: Dere's twelve tribes in de Bible an' dere's 56 tribes of de whole thing. In de third chaptah of St. Luke yo' find all de tribes, but dere's twelve special tribes of Israel in dose chapters. Well, yo' take dem. Now, dis is de way tuh handle things in co't an' handle things anywhere yo' goes tuh have peoples tuh go wit chew, yore way. Yo' read de 56 tribes, an' put down a green leaf of sage evah time yo' read a tribe. Yo' take green sage. Yo' undahstan' me. Ah don't mean nuthin but de pure sage. Yo' know, peoples take some othah things fo' sage. Well, ah means sage. Evah time yo' read a tribe, take a green leaf of sage an' lay it on dere. Now, dere's lak fo' leaves. Yo' understan' me. Until yo' read 'em all an' yo' [have] 56 leaves down dere. Well, de superior tribes is twelve. Yo' takes de tribes of Benjamin, take de tribes of Noah[!], an' de tribes of Moses[!] - dere's twelve of 'em. Jes' keep on till yo' - yo' know de special [12] tribe. De tribes of Israel is de main tribes, but dere's twelve of 'em - de twelve tribes. Well, yo' take dose tribes an' aftah yo' read de 56, yo' go back an' yo' skip fo' an' take one. Evah time yo' skip one, yo' see, yo' leave three an' pull out one an' place it ovah heah. Yo' skips fo' ag'in an' pull out one an' lay it ovah heah, an' when yo' git three yo' got twelve tribes. Well, take dem twelve leaves an' put 'em in de bottom of yore shoe an' go in jail, in de co'thouse, an' anywhere, yo'll come out. Yo' save de rest of 'em tuh buy up de crowd wit. Put dat in yore left shoe. Whut's left of de twelve yo' put in yore left shoe. An' ah guarantee yo' won't miss. (You put 56 leaves in this pile of all the tribes, and then you pull out four? Or, you leave four and pull out one.) Dat's right. (Leave four and pull out one until you get twelve leaves. Those twelve you wear in your shoe, and that other bunch you put in...) Twelve in yore right an' 44 in yore left shoe.
Entry 9124
Yo' kin take den, if yo' goin' be tried, yo' kin take sage, if yo' kin find it, de largest leaf sage dat chew kin find, an' write de twelve apostle name on dat sage an' put six each - write up de twelve apostle, put six in yore right an' six in yore left shoe, an' de jedge wouldn't have any case against chew. Dey'll acquit chew, even if yo' went tuh trial, but chew more den likely not tuh go tuh trial. An' if yo' couldn't git de sage yo' kin use jes' any or'nary white papah, but put some sage in each shoe. But write de names of de six apostle on each piece of papah strip separately, an' put six in one shoe an' six in de othah, an' make de numbah of twelve. Now, dat is true.
Entry 9125
Well, yo' go an' git chew twelve - git twelve sage leaves an' yo' puts six in each shoe. Now yo' go tuh a Bible an' git twelve disciples names out of it. Yo' know de twelve disciples, yo' know which ones dey wus. Well, yo' git - put six in each one of yo' shoes. (When you go before the judge.)
Entry 9126
Kin take de twelve disciples name an' yo' kin git some sage leaves. Git twelve of dose sage leaves an' yo' write one of dose disciples name on each one of dose leaves an' yo' sew it up in a little bitta bag. An' place it in each one of yore shoes - dem twelve disciples an' twelve sage leaves - an' yo' kin win any case dat chew go in. In any case, ah don't care whut kind...
(Don't you put twelve leaves in each shoe or six in each shoe?)
Put six in each shoe.
Entry 9127
An' den, too, dere's anothah story sompin de same thing, dat if yo' got a case in co't, yo' git twelve sage leaves an' yo' write de twelve apostle names, one on each leave. An' if yo' gotta meet co't, den yo' put six in one shoe an' six in de othah, an' de judge himself have tuh be in yore favor. Yo' see, if yo' do dat, den by God Almighty, it's a help tuh yo', yo' undahstan'. Here we are told what is unexpressed in the similar rites. These twelve names compel God Al- mighty's help!]
Entry 9128
To win a lawsuit in co't, yo' git chew twelve - listen tuh me good - yo' git chew twelve sage leave an' write de twelve apostles' names on dem twelve leaves, an' put dem in yore shoes jes' at sunrise an' weah dat in yore shoe. An' when yo' called up befo' de co't, why yo'll win out. (You wear those six in each shoe I suppose?) [This is not a leading question be- cause I already had enough examples of this rite. My only interest in this one were the words put dem in your shoes jes' at sunrise.] Dat's right.
Entry 9129
[The word Lamed in this rite is the title for lines 89-96 in Psalm 119, which is broken up into a number of named sections. Lamed is not the au- thor's name but a direction. Verse 94 shows why this portion of the Psalm was chosen: I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts. In recent years these courtroom rites, like the present one, could be called fox-hole or shell-hole religion. The Lord is not a Way of life but a last resort. Our rite has another interest, one of the oldest and commonest of all beliefs, the right foot first: Always start a journey right foot first for luck - Folklore from Adams County Illinois, No.12829, p.367, 2nd ed.] Well, yo' take sage leaves an' yo' write twelve names from de Bible, twelve names on each leaf of sage.
(You write one name for each leaf?)
Yes. An' yo' put it in yuh shoe, de right shoe firs'. [I must have been nodding here! Does it mean 6 leaves in the right and then 6 in the left? Or does it mean alternate: one right, next left, etc?] An' den yo' read, yo' read de word of Lamed in de 119 Psalm befo' yo' go [to court]. An' yo' PUT DE RIGHT FOOT IN FORWARD FIRS' an' yo' read dis 119th Psalm, de word of Lamed, an' yo' turn evah thing bottom upwards in de house: chairs, stools, evahthing bottom upwards, an' go on down.
(Before the judge.)
Entry 9130
Well, yo' kin git some - git chew twelve sage leaves an' cut chew twelve pieces of papah jes' about de size of dose sage leaves, an' write de pro- phet's name on each one of dem. An' take an' weah six of 'em in one shoe an six in de othah shoe, when yo' go befo' de judge.
(What do you do with those papers?)
Jes' paste de papahs onto de leaves. [The names of these prophets are evi- dently those formerly called the 6 major and 6 minor prophets.]
Entry 9131
Git aholt [a hold] of a bran'-new pair of socks an' go tuh a sage - sage bush, yo' know. Write de twelve apostle name on dere. Yo' know de twelve apostle whut ah'm talkin' about, disciples whut followed de Lord. Write dere names on dere an' put six in each shoe an' weah dat.
(Then what will happen?)
Dey can't do nuthin wit chew.
Entry 9132
[If you] have a case in co't - ah've experienced dat - he kin take twelve leaves of green sage an' write de twelve 'postles name on it, an' bury it unbeknowst tuh anybody undah de co'thouse steps, an' he mo' den apt tuh win de case. (You put it there so that the judge and these officials will have to walk over it.)
Entry 9133
Yo' go an' yo' git twelve green sage leaves, an' yo' write de twelve apostles on dose green sage leaves, an' yo' put dose green sage leaves in de bottom of yore shoe. Den yo' take two red onions an' yo' jes' make a hole in dose red onions, an' yo' stuff dose red onions wit salt an sugah, an' yo' wind dat nine times. An' yo' put one in each pocket an' while yo' are tryin' [being tried] yo' squeeze dose onions. Dey say yo' can't convict a man dat way.
(That's if they have any court case?)
Yes.
Entry 9134
Yo' take yo' nine leaves of sage - yo' seen sage - green sage. Yo' take nine leaves of green sage an' yo' put it in de bottom of yo' shoe. Yo' firs' write de twelve disciples names on evah leaf. Yo' know, jes' lak Petah- Paul-John. Yo' write de twelve disciples name on evah leaf of dat sage. Put one in yore right shoe an' one in yore left shoe, an' yo' go down befo' de judge, yo' could repeat dem same words dat ah said jes' while ago: Three daid men looked outa de windah; one had no lung, de othah had no tongue, an' de third wus deaf, dumb an' blind. Holy Spirit, speak fo' me as ah pray tuh three times a day. Only goodness an' mercy shall follah me tuh mah grave. Yo' jes' go in de co'thouse attah dat an' when yo' git up befo' de judge jes' continue tuh say dat, an' he'll dismiss yo'. He will eithah give yo' a sus- pended sentence or turn yo' loose.
Entry 9135
Dat fo' co'thouse scrapes. (All right, tell me that.) Well, now, yo' kin take twelve fig leaves - yo' knog dere wus twelve disciples - an' yo' take twelve fig leaves. An' yo' git chew a bottle of ink, a bran'-new bottle of ink dat nevah been used, an' a pen dat's nevah been used, an' yo' write a disciple name on each one of dose leaves. See, yo' got twelve leaves, yo' got twelve disciples. An' yo' write dose names on dose leaves. An' den, when yo' write dose names on dose leaves, yo' take yore Bible. IT'S DE 35th PSALMS AH THINK. AH GOT MAH BIBLE HEAH, AH LAK TUH BE SHORE YO' LET ME SEE. [HE CONSULTS HIS BIBLE!] It's de 35th Psalm. Yo' take de 35th Psalm an' read it ovah dose twelve leaves. [Psalm 35 begins: Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me...] Den aftah yo read it ovah dose twelve leaves, yo' fold dose leaves tight, yo' know, small tubl gethah intuh a white piece of papah. It kin be a piece of writin' papah or a cleah piece of papah lak dis [something he may have had in the Bible] ah guess, but let it be white papah. An' yo' kin put dat in yore right pocket.
(All twelve of those leaves?)
Yes, jes' put it in dere, but chew mus' write de names on dere firs'. An' den yo' read dat 35th Psalms ovah dose leaves an' wrap dose leaves up. An' evah who gonna be tried in co't, let dem put it in dere right pocket an' dey'll cer- tainly Walk out. An' if yo' can't git dose fig leaves - sometime yo' can't git dose things, yo' can't git de fig leaves - yo' git chew twelve - use 'em fo' a tea, too - not catnip, sage leaves.
Entry 9136
Well, ah tole 'im [author's contact man] in de case of bein' in trouble which ah had one experience of dat - cus [because] ah have been in trouble mah ownself - twice fo' murder[?] - an' ah've taken an' got some rattlesnake mastah, which ah wus tole tuh git dat, an' it wus sent tuh me an' put in cologne, wit some mustard seeds in it. An' tuh use dat cologne an' tuh wipe it ovah mah face about three days befo' mah trial, an' havin' dat mustard seed scattahed around, twelve mustard seeds around by de co'thouse. An' put twelve sage leaves in de bottom of yore shoes, six in each one, an' take an' write twelve names of de apostles on it. An' do dat all in three days, an' when yore trial come, it would not be anythin' tuh it.
(Well, now, where did you put those mustard seeds?)
Jes' scattah 'em anywhere roun' de co'thouse, anywhere round.
(Inside or out?)
Anywhere yo' wanta, outside right tuh de do', twelve of 'em.
Entry 9137
Yo' take twelve leaves of sage. Yo' name de sage. Yo' know, dere's twelve disciples. Well, yo' take an' name dose leaves of de twelve disciples. Put 'em in yore left shoe. Well, yo' take a piece of dis blacksnake root an' put it in yore mouth. Well, yo' go in an' yo' take infant's dirt. Yo' go an' tell de daid, "Daid, ah'm not" - yo' carry three pennies tuh de grave. Lak, now, yo' already in dere [jail]. Well, now, yo' want yore case dismissed. Well, now, some of de peoples or some of yore relatives, dey'll take an' go tuh de cemetery an' take three pennies, an' dey dig a hole an' on a infant's grave. Dey tell it, "Daid, ah didn't come tuh do any harm. Ah jes' come tuh ask yo' tuh fix it so his case will be dismissed." An' take his [infant's] dirt up in yore fingahs lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' goes home an' put dat dirt down in a papah. Den yo' take de table salt nine times [9 pinches of salt] an' put in dat dirt an' shake it up. Yo' put dat dirt in yore left shoe wit dose leaves an' yo'll walk out.
Entry 9138
Well, now de best ah learned about a case in co't, dey had me in fo' gamblin'. Ah goes up dere dat mawnin' - ah wus out on a bond - taken up some salt an' throw it fo' diff'ren' ways an' den goes out. [You] say, evah time yo' throw it... [cylinder changed]. (You throw that four different Ways in the courthouse. All right.) Right in de fo' cornahs, an' say, "Bring peace out of confusion." Go in de othah cornah, "Bring peace out of confusion." Ovah dere, "Bring peace out of confusion." [Informant forgets fourth corner.] Take some of dat an' throw some on de judge's seat, an' on de grand jury stand. Two tuh one, dey'll turn yo' loose.
Entry 9139
Yo' kin say dat [see incantation later] whenevah yo's [you is] in trou- ble or anythin'. Now, lak yo' git in trouble or somepin, go befo' dat judge an' nobody be on yuh side, yo' know, tuh see dat chew come out. Yo' jis' take dat salt befo' - if yo' git out on bond, yo' know - befo' yo' go tuh co't. Yo' say, "Fo'sake [forsake] ebahbody in de worl' but me. In de Name of de Fathah an' de Son [an' de Holy Ghost], Who made us all." An' drop dat salt on de fiah. [A note of mine reads, "Light re- cording because informant had gone over to fireplace to demonstrate." I remember this young woman quite well. At one point she went hopping about the room with an imaginary broom sweeping someone into jail. This should be recorded some- where. Another note of mine on the original transcription reads, "For this com- plete salt rite, given by the same informant and used by a woman to draw some man to her, see No." (Missing). I just took time out to search for the missing reference and found it! No.2271, p.641-642, is quite a rite! Fortunately my comments were made several days after the original recording.]
Entry 9140
Say yo' kin take a pair of bran'-new socks an' one tablespoon- ful of salt an' put it in yore socks, an' dey can't give yo' a fine. Dat's one.
(You put one tablespoonful of salt in each sock, when you go before the judge.)
When yo' go befo' de jedge.
(But those socks must be new?)
Must be new.
Entry 9141
Git some salt an' cinnamon an' yo' weah dat in yuh right pocket, an' when yo' talkin' wit de judge, why jis' empty salt as yo' talkin' an' dat'll bring yo' peace, luck.
Entry 9142
What 'tend [intend] tuh do sompin, lak if dey could git dere an' git an' put dat salt an' peppah in de cornahs in 'is house. Dat's what dey say. If dey could git in dere an' put dat salt an' peppah....
(In the judge's office. What do they do that for?)
Tuh control de judge.
Entry 9143
Dey git chew up when yo' goin' 'fore de judge, yo' set right down 'fore de judge, yo' set right down 'fore de judge dere an' yo' goin' be tried tuhmah- rah. Ah nevah did tell yo' all about dis, it's a secret. Dey goin' try yuh. All right, yo' understan', yo' go tuh work an' git chew some black peppah an' put it in yore pockets; an' git chew some sul- phuh an' salt tuhgethah, an' put dat in yore pockets. Dat so it will be a hot case an' git 'em all tangled up. Undahstan'? Jes' hot as dat stuff in yore pocket, de hottah de case will be; but it all will be in yore favahs [in your favor]. Evah time it will be in yore favahs, yo' see. Well, den, when yo' git ready tuh leave home - yo' goin' be tried tuhday - yo' leave home. Yo' tell yuh wife, undahstan', or yore brothah, whoevah it is, be sure tuh git one of yore left foot of yore ole shoes - de ole shoes, not a new one. One dat's throwed aside, yo' undahstan'. An' yo' gotta tell dem whut tuh do. [I] says, when ah git offen de do'steps, ah tells mah daughtah or what- evah [whoever], says, dey chunk it as hard as dey kin. Hit me in de back. An' ah don' look back an' ah laugh. Hit me right in de back wlt it, wit dat shoe. Well, dey take dat ole shoe an' yo' goin' out dere an' WHAM! Don't chew look back, go right on. Now, if dey don' git de case dismissed...
Entry 9144
Ah said if yo' wanta throw out a case, why yo' kin git a box of soda [see also No.91491 an' yo' kin put a tablespoonful of salt in dat soda. An' don} let nobody use none out of it. An' take an' carry it in a lavatory an' throw it - yo' know, empty evah bit of it in dere an' throw de box away. An' in nine days yo'll heah nuthin else from it, becuz dey would have tuh throw it [court case] out, cuz ah seen dat done. (Well, when you throw this stuff into the lavatory, is there anything you do or say or anything of that sort?) Don't say anythin'. Jes' don' let nobody see yo' when yo' do it. Yo' do it complete tuh yoreself.
(But you have the case in mind while you are doing it?)
Dat's right. (That is to throw the case out of court. All you use is just ordinary salt with just ordinary soda?) A tablespoonful of cookin' salt inside de box of soda, an' don' let nobody use any out of it. Jes' throw it away. An' throw it, yo' know, make it de sun- rise side [throw to the east].
Entry 9145
Well, now, if yo' goin' tuh be tried lak dis mawnin'. If it's any Way - if yo' in jail an' if it's any way anybody - if yo' in jail an' can't git tuh nobody, if yo' kin git some- body tuh git chew some salt - table salt [and] sugah. An' mix it up tuhgethah an' bathe in it evah mawnin', yo' won't git no time. Salt an' sugah an' mix it. [Salt protects you, sugar sweetens the judge.]
Entry 9146
Well, suppose if yo' done anythin' wit'out...why yo'd have sense tuh see a root worker an' git somepin dey call a han', yo' know, fer pertection. It would pertect yuh in case yo' was tried in court, an' if yo' Would ask fer mercy, yo Would git it. See? [While recording machine stopped, informant says something about seven lucky herbs. This is not a common name and may be my only example.]
(There are supposed to be seven lucky herbs?)
Yo' gathah 'em out de woods. (That is all, make just a hand? Do you have to know what those herbs are? Do you know the names of them?) Ah know de names of about five of 'em ah 'pect [expect].
(What are those?)
Southern [John de Conkah] an' High John de Conkah, de fo'-leaf clovah, de nex', Eve-an'-Adam Root, anothah root dey calls de leathah herb, lovett herb. Dat's fo'. De nex' is devil's-shoestring, five.
Entry 9147
[This plant, Shame Jim here, and Be-shamed brier root in rite that fol- lows, is the Shame brier (Schrankia uncinata). We have already met this plant under a number of names: Shame brier, Shame vine, Sensitive brier, Shame face, Shame Jim, Ashamin', Shamin' Judy (p.646, v.1) and Shameful brier No.3797, p.2496, v.3. The verse in the present rite, though well-known, is rare in Hoodoo.] Dat root whut ah tole yo' a li'le while ago, Shome Jim, put it right in yore- rip yore drawahs, yo' know, an' put it in de band aroun' yore drawahs, yo' know, an' let his lay right dere, an' yo' kin go up tuh de co't an' face 'im, an' den say things:: Once ah went out walkin', ah met three men; One was donb an' he couldn't speak; De othah was blind an' he couldn't see; An' anothah one was lame an' he couldn't walk. An' say dat an' look right at de jedge an' he nevah will fined jah 'er nuthin.
(Yes, now begin right at the beginning.)
Ah went out walkin' an' met three men; one was dumb an' couldn't talk; de othah one was blind an' coulan't see: de othah one had no tongue an' he couldn't do anything eithah [couldn't talk]; [and another] he was a cripple an' couldn't walk.
(When do you say that?)
When yo' lookin' right at de jedge when yo' at de trial.
court/trial setting and intended avoidance of a judge’s fine. The first-person verse is recited formula, not the informant’s autobiographical meeting with three men. Its repeated version differs and must not be harmonized. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3701) · Read full source (printed page 3702)
Entry 9148
Well, if yo' go down befo' de jedge, it's a root chew git called de "Be 'shamed brier root," de "be 'shamed Brier Root."
(Be Ashamed? Well, why do they call it that?)
Well, becuz it's de conkah of all roots of de woods. It's conkah of all de roots in de woods. See, lak if yo' go in de woods tuh git dat an' jes' whatevah yo' wanta learn an' know, yo' see dat bush, de little leaves on it closes up. It says, "Be 'shamed of yo'self, be 'shamed of yo'- self, be 'shamed of yo'- self [he hits it]. Well, all dem leaves on dat closes up [because he touched, hit the plant].
(As soon as you touch it that way, then it closes up?)
Close up. Well, yo' dig down dere an' git dat root. Dig down dere an' git dat root out dere. Well, den yo' take dat root, see, an' carry it home. An' if yo' got a case in co't, yo' take dat an' hold it in yore mouth lak dat, an' yo' spit one time 'fore de jedge. Spit dat at his face. Well, when yo' do dat, lak ah'm lookin' at chew, yo' see, yo' lookin' at me an' he think yo' chewin' 'bacco or somepin. He won't know whut chew got in yore mouth. Yo' jes' spit one time 'fore his face. Well, an' den yo' go dere an' set down. Well, when yo' sets down an' he'll jes' - he'll call up evahbody in co't. He'll call up evahbody in co't an' yo'll be settin' ovah dere, an' he look ovah dere an' he say, "Well, whut chew want in heah? Git up an' go on outa heah." See, dat root done got his mind, he done got 'shamed of whut he got yo' 'cused [accused] of, say, "Yo' git up an' walk on out." [They fascinate me, those words near the beginning: git dat (shame brier) an' jes' whatevah yo' wanta learn an' know, yo' see dat bush. de little leaves on it closes up. This suggests to me that some persons at least, and in some way, used the shame brier as a divining device. This plant and the hole of the doodle-bug (ant-lion larva) must have puzzled believers in hoodoo at one time - for beliefs about the doodle-bug, see Folklore from Adams County Illinois, Nos.1398-1404, p.55, 2nd ed.]
Entry 9149
Buy yo' a box of cookin' soda an' take dat cookin' soda an' carry it wit chew... (When you go down to the court. That's all you have to do?) Dat's all... (To get a light sentence or a fine.) Yes. [For cooking soda and court, see also 9144.]
Entry 9150
What dey call tuh hoodoo de judge, dat mos' all of de bootleggahs in dis country use. Dere's a root - one of it is called de Virginia snakeroot [Aristolochia serpentaria] de othah one is called High John de Conkah, though both of dem roots is fine fo' medical purposes. But dey claim by takin' 'em an' roastin' 'em till dey powdah, pulverize 'em good, dat yo' kin place 'em in yore do'ways or ovah yore windahs an' always use de words, Judge ye not.
(Judge ye not?)
Judge ye not. If yo' in de co't at a trial, say yo' set dere an' jes' con- centrate yore min' on de judge all de time, while de case is goin' on, an' yo' repeat dem words, Judge ye not. Sprinkle a little of dat dust what's yo's [you has or you isl got from dose parched herbs aroun' wherevah yo're settin' at, an natch'ly [naturally] he can't. - no way dey kin convict yuh. He's gotta let yuh out.
(IS THAT OFTEN DONE DOWN HERE?)
DAT'S CONTIN'LY [CONTINUALLY] DONE HERE IN DIS PLACE, IT'S A DAILY PRACTICE. DERE'S SEV'RAL MEN RIGHT HEAH IN DE TOWN DAT DON'T DO A THING IN DE WORLD BUT STAY AROUN' DE POLICE COURT AN' DE CORPORATION COURTS FO' DAT PURPOSE. DAT'S ALL DEY DO. TACK A MAN DOWN AN' DEY LEARN WHAT HE'S IN DERE FO', DEY PREPARE IT AN' GIVE IT TUH 'IM. TELL 'IM WHAT TUH DO. GO IN AN' HE'LL HOODOO DE JUDGE DEN AN' GIT DISMISSED ON DOSE CHARGES.
Entry 9151
To discharge the case against you?
(Yes.)
The best things you can do for the judge is to get you a thing they call spice. Get you a spice and after you wash your face, combed your hair, you stand with your back to the door - not with your face to the door - stand with your back to the door. Rub your hands, rub that powder, that spice on your hands and brush your face backward, back like that [demonstrates]. Brush it three times before you go out that door. And then wheel out that door, just turn and walk out that door be- fore you open your eyes. But brush your face backward three times after you ground that spice, wash your face, comb your hair and everything, be ready to go. Smooth your face three times like that and turn your back, with your eyes closed and go out that door. And I'll bet you won't have no trouble and your case will be done closed.
Entry 9152
Say fo' instance, now, dat yo' wus mah boss an' yo' done sompin tuh someone in de wrong [you wrong someone]. Well, yo' in jail an' yo' know yo' goin' [be] sent up de road [to the penitentiary, state prison in U. S. A.]. Ah goes an' gits 20 cents wuth of black peppah, 25 cents wuth of cai-yanne [cayenne] pep- pah, one pound of grana- lated [granulated] sugah, one package of Rex cloves, an' one package of Rex cinnamon.
(That's [Rex is] the name of the Brand?)
Dat's right,15 cents wuth of spice. An' mix all dat tuhgethah an' go in de co'troom dat mawnin'. Sprinkle some roun' de judge's stand an' some roun' de vitness stand. Den start tuh sprinklin' it out de do' tuh two blocks away from de place. An' when de witness gits dere, he's goin' back [especially if he sees anything sprinkled]. He's not comin' dere. He ain't goin' come dere.
(That is if he is coming there to talk against me?)
[I have not forgotten that I am the guinea pig: yo' know yo' goin' be sent up de road. No suh. He ain't goin' come dere. Dey'll call yore case up maybe three times, an' each time ah'm doin' dat fo' yo'. See, yo' in dere an' ah'm out. An' de third time he call it up or de fo'th time, he'll dismiss yo'. We cain't git de witness an' he cain't be located. He ain't goin' be at 'is house.
Entry 9153
They got some pills they call spit pills. You can buy those in the same drug store, the Crackerjack. Yo' take those an' yo' take nine of 'em, an' if de judge is not lookin at yo' befo' he call yo', when yo' walkin' up de aisle to 'im, perhaps, well yo' spit dose nine pills at 'im. No yo' keep 'em in yore mouth, dey don't dissolve. Dey are something like a black [something] dey's don' dissolve in yore mouth. As yo' are walkin' up de aisle to 'im, yo' spit. Yo' still keep de seeds in yore mouth, yes sir.
Entry 9154
(Tell me right from the beginning of it.)
From de beginnin' of de accident an' all?
(That's right, and how she had to pay this and all, you know.)
Well, she cooks fo' C. P. D. Dat big man up dere tuh Something & Company. She been workin' dere two years.
(This is your daughter.)
Ah works fo' So-an'-so, de jeweler uptown in de store. All right. Well, on de second Sunday of each month Mrs. D. lets Emily off, she's mah daughtah, fo' her tuh nuse [use] Sunday. She jes' go an' gits break- fast an' don' have tuh clean up, jes' dust. Dat's her commune Sunday. An' she jes' go an' git breakfast an' jes' dust around, make de beds - spread de two beds an' dust around. Yo' know, make things passable. An' she gits off. Well, this partic'- lah Sunday, which dis Sunday gone - a month now - wus de second Sunday. Well, she came home befo' ah did. She got off befo' ah did. She got off befo' ah did an' she came home an' she went tuh de garage an' got her car out. Well, she started to go to a girl's. She had her hair done dat Sat'day. Well, she started tuh go tuh dis girl tuh jes' have her hair turned undah yo' know. She got up dere on de cornah of Amherst an' George Street. She met two friends of hers an' dey said, "Oh, mah feets hurtin' me!" Said, "Would yo' take us home, Emily?" Emily?" say, "Why, yes, ah got time ah reckon." She looked at de watch. She says, "Yes, ah guess ah got time." Well, she went right on down de street dat way an' on House[?] on Egmont Street is where she got in dis collision wit de water - whut chew call it?
(Hydrant?)
Yes, dat's whut dey call it. An' she jes' ran right up intuh it. De steerin' wheel got locked on her. Yes, got locked on her. Well, den, it's nuthin she could do. Well, dat jes' tore de pipe all up an' muddied de streets with water an' everything, see. Well, someone ah guess up dere called up de police. Dat's de bes' thing yo' could have done. Dey came out. Well, dey 'rested [arrested] 'er an' made 'er git in dere cah. So dey called up dere at de wreckah, de Chevrolet wreckah. De Chevrolet wreckah came an' taken 'er car down tuh de Chevrolet place. [Police] taken her along tuh jail. Well, jes' about dat time - she wus in jail about five minutes. Ah got off from work an', cos' [of course] quite natchly [naturally], she gone tuh de co't- house right down dere. Evah'body ran tuh meet me, "oh Mirandy, Mirandy, have yo' heah whut happened?" Ah said, "No - no - what?" Said, "Well, Emily wus in a wreck." Ah said, "Did she git killed or git hurt?" Ah jes' wus flusterated den yo' know. So dey said, "No, she didn't git hurt. Dey taken her tuh jail." Ah said, "Well, all right." Ah went - rushed right on down tuh de fail. Dey said ah couldn't see her but dere wus nuthin wrong wit 'er. Well, where ah wus workin' at de time, ah wus workin' fo' one of de police's sistahs an' he stayed right dere, de little fellah dat rides de motorcycle, Andy C. He said, "No, Mirandy, ah wouldn't tell yo' a story, yo' know, yo' mah cook. Ah would not tell yo' a story." Ah said, "All right." So den ah came on back home aftah ah couldn't see her or talk tuh her. Ah Went ovah dere tuh Mr. G. an' ah axed Mr. G., ah said, "Goodness sake, whyn't yo' call me up an' let me know dat Emily wus in jail?" He said, "Mirandy, it jes' happened jes' now." Said, "Ah didn't know where tuh call yo' an' ah knowed yo' would see me." Ah said, "Well, ah do see." Ah said, "Ah want mah chile out, " ah say, "Emily is no jailbird." Ah said, "An' accidents are likely tuh happen tuh anybody at any time, an' especially wit a cah." Ah say, "Ah seen some cahs would go sailin' by hers a thousan' times an' say be wrecked, " ah say, "an' ah've read in de papahs where a man an' his wife were jes' married on dere honeymoon, got killed an' hurted." Jes' went on explainin tuh 'im. He say, "Yes, " he says, "Don't chew be worried." He said, "If it any sech thing lak money tuh git 'er out, why she's comin' out." Ah said, "Well, 'phone 'em an' ask is she hurted?" So he did. Dey said, "No, dey wasn't anything wrong wit Emily nor de people - de two girls whut wus in de cah. Ah said, "Well, all right." Mr. G. say, "Go on home." Ah say, "No. Well, no." He say, "Yes, yo' go on home." Ah went on home an' as soon as ah unlocked de do' an' opened up de house, den she came. Well, dat wus on Sunday, de second Sunday in last month. So Monday, dat Mon- day, yo' know, dey had co't. Well, de judge didn't wanta fine me, becuz he knows me an' 'er folks, yo' know, an' den ah worked fo' 'im. Ah have worked fo' 'im. Haven't worked fo' 'im. recently but ah have worked fo' 'im. Anyway he knows me. An' de Chief, Chief Francis, said, "Judge, dat Mills woman" - he wus talkin' 'bout me - he says, "ah've knowed her, been knowin' 'er fo' ovah 25 yeahs." He says, "She's a truthful woman. Ah believe evah word she says." He says, "She's all right." But yet, yo' see, de city had tuh pay fo' dat hydrant tuh be put back an' it cost - dey only charged her fo' dat hydrant tuh be put back. Dey had tuh hire extry help, yo' see. De watahin' people had done knocked off at dat time, yo' know, an' dey had tuh call on extry help. Dey had tuh call on extry help. Why ah guess dey had tuh pay dem extry. Ah know dey did.
(Overtime or something?)
Yes. So de Judge wus very lenient wit 'er. Dey only charge her $25.50. $25.50 but aftah she back ovah tuh de co'troom or tuh de jailroom - whatevah yo' call it - why she had tuh pay $26.50. All right, dat wus settled right fo' dat. She didn't have tuh go tuh jail. All right. Den she went on back an' fixed dinnah fo' her people. Well, de cah wus still at de Chevrolet place where she bought it from. So de one tuh go ovah - ovahhaul de cah an' see whut it would cost an' check up on it, yo' know, see whut dey could do. Well, Mrs. D., de lady dat she worked fo', friend - a personal friend is a businessman. So he tried to do it cheap as he could an' it wus $63. Well, latah on de watah people taken a 'tachment [attachment] on de cah an' Sued 'er fo' $55.55. BUT DEY'LL BE AS LONG GITTIN' DAT $55.55 AS YO' OR I WUS GITTIN' GROWN. AH'M GOIN' SEE TUH DAT PART. AH'LL TAKE CARE OF DAT MAHSELF. (Now, you were going to tell me what you have done now to take care of that - make a nice story of it.) Well, ah taken me a piece of stick - common ordinary stick an' ah hew it down jes' about lak dat [demonstrates].
(About as long as your long finger.)
Yes. Ah hewed me anothah piece about a inch, about two inches long. Ah make a cross in dat.
(You made a cross of those two sticks.)
Ah taken it an' ah put it in de back seat undah mah cah - undah de back seat of de car - our cah, de flivvah, mah cah. Well, it's mah daughtah's but ah call it mine.
(The car that was in the wreck you mean?)
Yes. Re'lly, it is mah daughtah's cah. Ah taken me three new nails, three rusty nails an' put dem in de back of dat cah. Ah got me some dust outa dat cemetery an' ah put some peppah, gunpowdah an' salt in a little sack - jes' made it about dat much - jes' a little lak dat, of each [demonstrates].
(Just a pinch of each.)
Jes' lak dat an' ah put it undah de.... [demonstrates].
(Under the seat?)
Uh-huh. Well, yo' know, ah hol' up de hood of mah cah wit a pencil [demonstrates].
(Made a cross with a pencil like that.)
Dat's de end of it.
(Well, now, where did you put those nails?)
In de back seat - undah de back seat of mah cah an' dat cross.
(Well, now the nails - usually they drive them into the wood?)
No, yo' jes' throw dem careless [demonstrates].
(Just throw them careless.)
Yes, careless.
(And just lay the cross in there?)
Jes' lak yo' would have jes' ole rubbage in yo' cah.
(Just throw stuff in.)
Yes, any stuff dat chew might need.
(And that was done so that they couldn't win this suit. That the idea?)
Dey will nevah win it, unless ah die or dat git misplaced. But DEY'LL BE AS LONG GITTIN' IT AS YO' OR AH GITTIN' GROWN UP.
Entry 9155
Ah seen a fellah do dis one time, an' it come out - it come out really true, right heah on de corner of [some street]. It wuz heah in dis town, mah home town. He tuk, he went tuh anothah fellah dat stayed up heah along de road, supposed tuh be a kind of a root doctah. He went tuh dis fellah. He had called him a...or sompin othah, a purtty bad man. He went up tuh dis fellah an' dis fellah wuz standin' round, say, "Yo' boys come in dis room." Told 'im, "All right." Ah'd gone up dere wit 'im. Ah went on in de room wit 'im. He gave dis boy an' he say, "Yo' do jes' lak ah tell yo' when yo' go in de co't." De boy tole 'im, "Yessuh." He give dis boy somepin - he mixed somepin, said it wuz a salve, sulphuh wit black peppah an' he got, ah think some sage tea. Den he went got him a whole lotta snails. Not no whole lotta snails but li'le articles of sands. An' he tuk [took] an' put dem in a snuffbox an' stirred it up. Aftah he put it in dis snuffbox he stirred it up an' he tole dis boy, says, "Will yo'all step out in dis othah room?" So we stepped out intuh de othah room. We didn't know what exactly [what to expect]. So we stepped out intuh de othah room, an' he tole dis boy, said, "Now yo' take dis stuff an' has de box right in yore han', jes' about lak yo' hold de palm of yore hand, an' put it in yore right-hand pocket; an' when yo' go up dere in de co'troom an' when dey call yo', yo' called up on de stand, an' when yo' go on dere, yo' take dis stuff. Don' let nobody see it. Jes' lak yo' got chure han' in yore pocket, an' jes' take some of dis stuff an don't be watchin' whut chew doin'. An' take it as yo' goin' up dere on de stand an' jes' sprinkle it round lak yo' brushin' dis hand right down de side of de judge." An' he said, "Ah'll guarantee yo' dey won't do anything 'bout chw - guarantee yo'll git out, won't go no time." (Well, what about this other stuff, this salt and sand that was sprinkled around. He put this salt and stuff with this sand and sprinkled it around?) Yessuh, mixed it all up tuhgethah.
Entry 9156
Dat's if yo' git in a lawsuit an' yo' wanta win de case, yo' undah- stan', befo' yo' go. Befo' yo' go dere, why yo' jes' git chew some sulphuh, bluestone, alum an' borax. Beat it up right nice an' fine, an' yo' walk in dat room where de jedge an' de iury an' all of 'em. an' dey'll ask yo' tuh talk firs'. An' yo' git up an' talk an' let de prosecutor come on. Yo'll come out. [The preceding mixture is definitely carried into court and beaten up right nice shows that it was sprinkled.]
Entry 9157
"In de house of de judge's are three dead men lookin' out of de windah, an' one had no tongue, an' one had no [limbs?] an' de othah was blind an' def [deaf] an' dumb." An' if yo' don't git dismissed yo'll git a life sentence, when yo' say dat. [This is a murder case in an either-or-situation. At least you will not be hanged!]
(You say this when you go into the court?)
Yes, sir.
(You say you bought this from somebody? You bought this here?)
Bought it in New Orleans.
(You paid $5 for it?)
[The preceding you bought this and paid $5 show that we talked about this rite before recording began. I am not asking leading questions.] Yes.
(Are you from New Orleans?)
No, sir. Dis is mah home. Live chere. [The preceding three dead men comes from a witchcraft manual, I having met them several times through the years, but our incantation here is rare in Hoodoo. For another example, see No.9134, p.3697.]
Entry 9158
Yo' take some ashes [coal or wood or back-yard trash] an' put it in a li'le tobacco bag [holding a cigarette mixture back in the days when a smoker rolled his own]. An' den yo' git a ole cigah butt, an' yo' kin git some peanuts an' put in dere. An' jis' befo' yo' git ready, jis' when dey git ready tuh call 'em [you], all dey [you] have tuh do is, drop dat on de flo' [of the courtroom] an' dey'll [you will] git a light sentent [sentence]. [Here is the symbolism to help defendant: ashes (the power of the court has been burned out), cigar butt (something thrown away), and peanuts (scattered about are unlucky for the place- See No.2574, p.710, v.1).]
Tobacco retrieves the named tobacco bag and cigar butt; the passage does not say loose tobacco was added.
Entry 9159
Take a white pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' dampen it wit peroxide an' kero- sene an' turpentine, an' jis' - see, yo' be's in de co'thouse, yo' see, where dey is, an' as he talkin', yo' jis' carry dat pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' dey make it [sentence] light. (Where do you carry it?) Do it jes' lak [demon- strates by shaking or waving handkerchief]. See, dat will make de scent of it
[reach the judge and jury].
Entry 9160
Now, if you have to go before the judge, ah tell you what you do. Be fore you go away from your house, you take the chairs and you stand them upside down in the house, every one of them. Don't leave nary a one standing up like the one ah'm settin' in. Turn dem all upside down. An' yo' get yo' some sugah an' cin- namon an' holy oil, that's what you call virgin oil. Yo' get dat from certain drug stores. Yo' can't get it from everywhere. But wherever de place dat yo' can find it, yo' get dat virgin oil, and cinnamon and sugar and yo' mix all dat tuhgethah, don't yo' know. An' put it in some watah an' wash yore face an' hands good - just wash yore face an' hands. Wash all back of yore neck an' ears an' Wash on yore arms. An' turn those chairs upside down before yo' leave home. An' he will really dismiss it.
Entry 9161
Yo' kin look in de Bible an' git twelve men's names. Ah fo'git alla [all of] 'em but de name: John, Peter, Simon, Andrew, Matthew - these are haid- men [headmen]. An' if yo're in trouble or in law or anything - dat a lawsuit or any court choo know - to git doze names [of the 12 Apostles]. Put it on a piece of papah an' jis' befo' yo' go down - if yo're out on bond or any- thing - jis' befo' yo' go down. Yo' git doze names an' put it [them] on a piece of papah. Twelve names an' put chor name to de bottom, an' put in yuh shoe [us- ually both] an' weah dat. Well dat'll be twelve witnesses. An' turn dem names up dataway in de toe of yuh shoe where yuh name be down dis way an' dere names will be ahaid [ahead]. Dey is witness fer yah. Dey say dat'll bring yuh across, outa trouble. [For sage and 12 apostles or disciples, see Nos.9124-9137.] [Wil- mington, N. Car. (320), 252:7+85.]
Entry 9162
Yo' know it's twelve disciples an' dere's 12 jurymens. Well, yo' take dese twelve disciples an' yo' put six - write six names on one piece of papah an' six on de othah, an' put dem in yore shoes - each shoe. An' yo' rubs garlic in yore hand, if yo' kin git tuh it. Yo' see an' go intuh de courtroom, or yo' kin turn evahthing. Jes' lak de trial goin' tuh be tuhday. Turn evahthing in yore house from de cups on tuh a chair, turn it upside down, mattress an' evahthing yo' see. He [judge] can't [go] ovah dat. If dey do, yo' ain't goin' git much. See, he don't know how tuh git tuh yo'. See, dis Work 'em upside down. Dey don't [know] how to git up tuh yo'. Yo' see dose 12 disciples, ah can't call 'em by name right now, but any- way it's twelve. It's 12 jurymen. Well, see de disciples are jurymen.
(That's when you go up before the judge.)
Entry 9163
Ah were workin' fo' a fellah one time, thirty or fo'ty yeahs ago. He stole some hogs. He re'lly stole dem, but ah didn't know it. An' ah was workin' on de plantation. Dat was 'fo' we come tuh dis country [Florida]. An' he ast me an' anothah boy tuh he'p 'im load 'em dat mawnin' befo' we went tuh work. So we got - we jes' went in an' ketched 'em an' put 'em in de wagon. Dey brought 'em tuh Tampa tuh sell. An' ten or twelve days latah de law arrested dese two fellahs whut was carryin' dem hogs dat was stolen. An' dey came back tuh arrest me an' dis boy dat had been he'pin' wit 'em, but we were innocent of co'se. But dere was an ole fel- lah - he's daid now - his name Was ANDREW JONES, DAT WUS SUPPOSED TO BE A HOODOO. He gits de othah boy's mothah an' comes tuh hunt me an' dis boy. An' we lived tuhgethah. We were both single. An' he said tuh me, yo' git de Bible an' name de twelve tribes Israel, an' write it on a papah an' hand it tuh me [surely be- cause the old man could not write!]. An' he say, "Go on, de man won't be back aftah yo'." An' he haven't been back since.
Entry 9164
[Preceding rites in this section have given us examples of turning household objects upside down before court. Here is one to establish the margin title:] If it's a bad case when yo' goin' tuh co't, choo turn yuh chairs bottom upward. Yo' turn evahthing bottom up. Upset things in yuh house. Yo' read de seven Psalm [Psalm 7] in de Bible. Aftah yo' read dat, den yo'll take de judge name an' yuh name an' put it in de bottom of yuh shoe. Yo' write it on parchment papah. Write his name, yuh name on topa it, an' put it in de heel of yuh shoe, de right shoe. An' yo' tote dese nine pods of garlic. Yo' have yo' piece of John de Conkah root, an' when yo' git tuh dat [courtroom] do', yo' spit three times. Den yo' walk on intuh de co'troom an' yo' spit tuhwards de judge. Den, if yo' goin' in front of de judge he'll be lenient on yuh. Yo git discharge.
Entry 9165
When yo' git 'rested, befo' de jedge try yuh, yo' take off yore shoes, take off both yore shoes. Take yuh socks off. Turn de bottom of de shoe down. Take de socks an' put all in one. Yo' know, take two de socks an' put all in omg shoe. Yo' jes' take off yuh sock an' roll it up an' den put it in de othah one. Makes a bundle outa it. Tie it ovah wit yuh shoes. Den when de cop come tuh remove yuh, take yuh tuh de judge try yuh, den'yo' put - take yore socks, yo' unfold it a put it in one back pocket, an' one in de othah back poa ket. An' den yo' put on yore shoes witout eny socks. Take de shoestring outa it an' put dat in yore [front?] pocket an' yo' walk on up tuh have yuh trial. Well, de case's [case is] out. It may be a mistrial.
Entry 9166
Yo' kin git some [corn] meal an' some salt, an' mix dat up tuhgethah an' pee on it, an' den dry it fo' yo' go downtown [to meet the judge]. Or ei- thah, let somebody do dat while yo's [you is] downtown [in jail or before the judge]. Dey [the person at home] would put it [the dried urine, corn meal and salt] in de fiah an' let it burn. An' while yo' down dere [at court] yo'd [you would] come out all right.
Entry 9167
If yo' had a case an' yo' gotta go befo' de judge, befo' yo' go tuh bed at night, yo' kin take yore watah, take yore chamber lye, an' stop it up in a bottle. An' yo' gotta go tuh co't tuhmahrah - we'll say tuhmahrah. Well, yo' do dis three days befo' yo' gotta go tuh co't. Stop it up in a bottle an' when yo' stop it up in dere, put black peppah an' salt in it. An' when yo' go tuh de co'thouse have a cork stoppah in it. Don't have no top on it, no hard top on it. Have a cork in it. When yo' git dere, jis' sprinkle it round in de co'thouse, an' de p'lice won' appeah up on yo' an' de judge won't be dere. Some of 'em gotta be dismissed, de' goin' be sick.
Entry 9168
I heard dey takes some salt and pepper and mix it together, and carry it in court; or either wash dere face in chamber lye and throw it over your left shoulder, before you go down in court to be tried. (That will help you out?) Yeah, that will help you out. [One of many examples in tert showing interviewer and informant repeating each other's words.]
Entry 9169
Ah have a John de Conkah root. Yo' take - ah give yuh a li'le piece of dat. Yo' use jis' - it ain't got a thing tuh do about magic. Put it in yuh mouth, jis' a very li'le bita piece. Walk tuh de co'thouse, talk wit de judge an' evahthing. Yuh case come tuh come up. Yo' talk about a case proposition. On de firs' jam [serious trouble] wit de law dat yo' know dat yo' got a case at de co'thouse. It supposed tuh be very bad in any kind of way. De day befo' de case is supposed tuh be tried, dey show up. Dey say, "Yeah." Anyway dey show up dere at nine o'clock nex' mawnin'. An' yo' wake up dis mawnin' jis' about five o'clock. Evah chair yo' got in yuh home, turn it upside down. Evah chair. Now, jis' lak las' night, jis' about midnight las' night, if yo' got de courage, yo' stay up; 'cuz yo's de one in co't, choo see. Yo' take one of dem chairs an' cross de watah. (Cross what?) Cross de watah. (Cross what water?) Any way [anywhere], jis' So yo' cross de rivah. Any wa watah jis' so yo' cross it. Move dat piece of furniture outa yuh house, an' turn all de chair - rockin' chairs an' evah'thing upside down: Yo' be very cold tuh dat co't. Gotta be verah [very] cool fo' dat, 'cuz yo' know yuhself, from nine o'clock maybe until ten o'clock, dey may call evah'body aroun'. An' yo' continue chewin' dat piece of John de Conkah, dey call it. When it comes tuh yuh time, yo' still lookin' fo' it, dey throw yuh case off de side. Neithah yo' or neithah dem know how he have dem tuh be.
(I see, dismiss the case?)
Yes, dismiss de case. [This crossing of water the night before the trial, is surely a witchcraft prevention tacked onto a court rite. If the arrested person or anything in his house had been bewitched, this journey across running water would break the spell - see Folklore from Adams County Illinois, 2nd ed., p.893f. especially the remarkable story about carrying bewitched child across Mississippi River at Quincy, Illinois, and recrossing the river farther upstream. No.16426, a treasure!]
Entry 9170
Well, now you go in at your house where you stay, and you make your wife wash all her dishes. She wash all her dishes and leave the dishwater right in the middle of the floor [latter a quincunx rite]. You upset all your house, especially the room you sleep in [this is unusual]. You take your chairs and you pile 'em all up in the bed [another rare device]. You take the judge, the district attorney and the parties that will accuse you [hos- tile witnesses]. You gets their names. You carry it back of your house and you bury it. And where you bury it. You bury it up there in a corner where nobody don't walk over it. Say, like I'm going to court this morning, you do that. Keep all - have all the house, like you got the truck [odds and ends] in the bed, you put the chairs on top of it. When you go there, you sit down 'fore the judge and the judge going to ask you if you are guilty or not guilty. You say, "Not guilty." But just say it for [to] yourself. Say, "Well, I ain't got anything to say. I know I'm not guilty." The judge is liable to turn around and twist, you know. Well, you got his name and the district attorney name down so deep in there [in the ground at home] that they can't - and your house all upsetted, they got their mind all upSetted, yOU See. THE WAY YOU GOT YOUR HOUSE, THAT'S THE WAY THEIR MIND IS. They can't say, "Guilty." They can't say, "You're guilty." Well, you see, when their mind gets all messed up, when he look at you, he say, "Aw, discharge this fellah until furthah notice." When they say, "Until further notice, " you are absolutely discharged, you don't have to go no -more. They say that's to blind the court.
Entry 9171
Leave the hydrant running slowly, turn all the "stove eyes" up [lids of old-fashioned kitchen stove burning coal or wood]. You turn your "back pock- ets" [= hip pockets] wrongside outwards. You carry a "Indian head penny. [As I said somewhere in the text, water coming from a faucet is considered running water. Even the pipe carry- ing water from street into house has been called running water. There are a nun ber of these rites scattered through the text to support this statement.]
Entry 9172
Well, all right. Well, say fo'stance [for instance] now, yo' done some hangin' crime ovah yondah [where you came from] - done some bad crime, ah mean a hangin' crime ag'in. All right. Say fo'stance yo've did dat. Yo' say, "Well, Lawd, ah don't know whut ah'm goin' do, ah don' know whut's goin 'come [going to become] of me." Yo' come tuh me an' say, "Well, Dawson, listen, ah've did a bad crime. What's ah'm done goin' do? Ah know dey goin' hang me." [Up to this point I have done as guinea pig all sorts of crimes in the text, but this appears to be my first murders!] Ah say, "Well, ah don't believe dey will." Yo' say, "Well, whut must ah do?" [Here Dawson, one of my contact workers in Mobile, answering for me recalls Doctor Washington of Charleston, S. Car.; see No.9024, p.3660, v.4.] Ah says, "We'll go tuh de sto', yo' wait till ah come back." Ah'll go tuh de sto' den an' ah'll git me a package of red cayenne peppah. See, ah'll git dat. Ah'll walk out in de woods aftah ah git dat cayenne peppah an' ah'll go ahead an' ah'll git me a dog-brindle weed.
[My following question shows I completely misunderstood dog-brindle weed.]
(Dog brindle or dog fennel?)
Dog brinnel [dog-brindle = dog color]. [The preceding brackets were originally parentheses and the comment is not mine but my transcriber's. She Was correct. The weed had dark streaks or spots on a gray or tawny ground.]
(What does it look like?)
It's got a little - it grows tall, about dis big [demonstrates]. Got little leaves on it, no flowahs at all. Well, yo' kin call it dog fennel if yo' wanta [or] dogwood. It's a doa-fana? weed, yo' know. [The preceding question mark following dog. fang? is above fang in the tran- scription. I was unable to improve transcriber's fang part of it. Since the next sentence says wring that off, I suspected the identity of this weed as hound's-tongue, but informant's no flowahs at all eliminated the identification. Finally, could fang be bane? How about dogbane? Is our plant any species of the genus Apocynum? The latter name alludes to the poisonous milky juice, hence the bane of dogs. (A piece of poison in your pocket and shoe could be a good defense against a poisonous sentence by the judge.) Here again we are confronted by flowers. As I have said somewhere, the old-time root men who dug their own roots were fast disappearing when I began to collect back in the 30's. Most doctors in my time bought roots from a root shop, if there was one in the town, or sent away for them. We must not accept Dawson's no flowahs as the absolute truth. An ex- pert may be able to name the plant from the little information here.] Well, yo' git dat an' yo' wring dat off an' put piece of dat in yore pocket, an' yo' put tothah [the other] one in yore shoe. Put dat in yore shoe an' den dis here cayenne peppah yo' got. Now it's lak if yo' settin' an' if yo' stepped out dere an' go tuh dat toilet dere an' nurinate [urinate]. [Whereas at the beginning of this rite author was the defendant on a hangin' crime, suddenly I find myself a judge on the bench! And momentarily leaving the courtroom!] Well, ah take dat cayenne peppah an' ah sprinkle dat cayenne peppah in yore chair, where yo' was settin' at, an' jes' sprinkle it round in heah, see. Well, when yo'[author as judge] come back heah an' set down, an' yo' go tuh talkin' an' says, "Well, Dawson, ah don't see dere's nuthin in heah ag'in yo'." See, yo' say, "Go ahead up an' go on home an' don't come back heah no mo'." See, dat weed is jes' got chure mind, it's [your mind is] jes' up in a uproah [uproar]. An' dat cayenne peppah done changed yore mind all de Way round, so yo' can't do nuthin. Yo' tell me tuh go on home.
Entry 9173
Yassuh, ah heard dat chew kin - now, ah know dis, ah didn't only heard dis. Jes' lak yo' is in trouble now an' yo' wanta git out. [Yo'] be in jail. Ah go in de woods or anywhere ah kin find a willah tree an' git five willah leaves. An' ah'll give 'em tuh yo' maybe in through by yore ration. Ah'll put it undah yore ration an' carry 'em tuh de jailhouse tuh yo'. Well, yo' take dem three willah leaves, dem five willah leaves, an' put two in each hip pocket an weah one in yore right shoe. An' read de fo'th chaptah of St. Luke in de second verse three times a day, an' yo'll be outa dere in three day's time. [St. Luke says little to the point here: Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. King James Version.]
Entry 9174
Yo' kin buy a new-brand [brand-new] pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' wet it, an' fold de cornahs nine times tuh yuh. Carry, it in de hand an' turn - evah'- thing yo' put on goes on de wrong side. Turn on de wrong side. (Like your pockets and things of that sort?) Yes. Yeah, wrongside out. An' drawyuh hand 'cross it two or three times an' be in de windah dere tuh yo'self. Three time goin' tuh de win- dah, windahs in de place, windahs. Draw yo' hand cross it two or three times, an' say tuh yo'self: Three men goin' tuh de windah. (You say to yourself, "Three men going to the window." And you point to the window as you pass your hand over your face. That's when you go before the judge.) An' his mind will change. He'll think dat chew tryin' tuh give a sign, but dat'll be a trick, yo' know, see. His mind will change right den.
Entry 9175
And I want the judge to be lenient on my case and so I would get dis- missed. Now, if I was goin' like I would be arrested and I had to go down to the judge, and I was just like I would have to go down to court this morning. I get a subpoena to come to the court this morning, understand. I would take my bed, the bed I sleep in and I would take and turn the mattress over, upside down, and leave the bed upset. And take my chairs in my house and I would turn them up too. Then I would make my wish before I leave my house. I would get me a piece of John de Conkah, understand, and whilst I be coming into the judge's room, I be having my John de Conkah in my mouth, understand. The minute I walk into the door to the judge - to go to the judge's stand, I would spit my John de Conkah.
Entry 9176
Yo' would git up in de mawnin' an' yo' would turn yore clothes - under- Wears - wrongside outwards, an' yo' would turn yore socks wrongside out. An' den yo' would turn to de chap- tah of Psalms, de 25th chaptah of Psalms. It reads lak dis: "Plead mah case [cause] O God, an' stand up fo' thy helpmate, an' so on lak dat chew see. An' yo'll purtty much git dismissed.
(You do that before you go down to see the judge.)
[Psalm 25 does not contain the preceding words. The nearest to them would be those opening Psalm 35: Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me. Similar words are: Plead my cause and deliver me - Psalm 119:154. The helpmate part of informant's quotation does not appear in Psalms.] Ah wuz in jail fo' murdah once, an' it wuzn't no joke 'bout me not bein' guil- ty. Had a ole man [doctor] outa Jacksonville, Fla., an' he come tuh me an' he says, "Well, ah know yo's no risk," said, "but dis chaptah right chere ah'm goin' give yo' tuh read." He say, "Only de 25th eve'y mawnin' 'fore yo' git up, 'fore yo' speak to anybody else, aftah yo' gits up, an' yo' jes' go on an' yo'll be discharged." An' he says, "De ninth mawnin', de mawnin' dat chew bein' tried, ah'll come an' tell yo' whut tuh do." So he come tuh me an' tole me whut tuh do. [I failed to ask what informant was supposed to do on the 9th day, but it was probably to chew John de Conkah root during the trial.] An' ah wuz acquitted wit'out goin' tuh a judge, or even tried. [This is one of those cases settled out of court - see Doctor Washington's amazing account, No.9024, p.3660, v.4.] Dat wuz at Greenville, Fla. An' eve'ybody else could tell yo', by jes' sayin dat. Ah've been down in co't, ah reckon ah've been prob'ly five hundred times
[an obvious hyperbole] an' dat's all ah use.
Entry 9177
Yo' kin take jes' befo' yo' bein' take in [are taken into] de co'troom, or yo' be in yore cell den. Yo' kin put chure clothes on, on de wrongside out an' when yo' do dat den, yo' go in dere, an' most of de time [you do this only] aftah yo' done went tuh a wiser person, real wise [here we have the old English wise man or wise woman, numerous examples of which appear in Hoodoo]. [Fayetteville, N. Car., (1452), 2639:8.] [I have titled this section The Amazing Chicken Egg, basing my opinion not upon the rites given here, but upon the many other rites using eggs in Hoodoo. The most remarkable of these egg beliefs are probably those found under the burial of a murdered person - see Nos.7425-7470, pp.3276-3285.]
Entry 9178
Ah've used chicken eggs mahself. Well, a lady had me tuh do it. Ah had got a gurl pregnant yo' know - got her pregnant an' dey wanted tuh git rid of it, see. Take dese eggs an' put 'em in de chambah pot whut she have tuh use. An' she go out dere an' when she sit on dat, why she'd strain - strain - strain - two or three times a day an' a...see, dey use three eggs, six eggs, an' when dem use up, dem six eggs, mo' or less, natchly [naturally] it would come. Ah tried dat.
(Well, what did she do with those eggs?)
Dose eggs? She took 'em an' buried dose eggs, buried 'em; well, anywheres out - jes' buried 'em. Or threw 'em away ah suppose. [Eggs here concern me only as a magic symbol.]
Entry 9179
Ah've hear'd tell of 'em usin' eggshells, ah've hear'd tell dat chew kin take nine eggshells. An' if he drinks coffee, ah've hear'd tell of 'em takin' nine eggshells - yo' take de eggs of a black hen. An' yo' take nine eggshells an' if yo' kin beat those eggshells up, an' use dat intuh his coffee, ah've heard tell of dat stoppin' 'im from drinkin'.
Entry 9180
Ah hear'd dat chew could take a chidken aig an' carry it tuh a red ants baid an' break it an' yo' know, dat's if yo' wanted anybody tuh leave a place. An' po' it down in dere an' call dere name an' tell 'em tuh go an' not come back. Jes' po' it. Yo' know it take it a long time tuh drip. An' jes' po' it. Dey say soon as dem ants tote de las' bit of it down in dere [the person named] dey'll disappeah.
Entry 9181
Now heah's somepin dat is known. Dis is rathah modern, too. Now, yo' kin take a black hen's aig an' write de seven apostel name. Yo' know de seven name? Ah don't guess yo' wanta know dey have seven apostel? Would yo' lak tuh know whut apostel? Why dey say dere's Petah, James, John, Simon, Zedpide [Zebadee], Bartholomew, an' dat othah apos- tel, Matthews. Well, jis' any seven of de twelve apostel, write dat on de aig see. Write dere [victim's] name on dat aig. Yo' see, yo' write de person name on dat Talsol. Dat's if yo' wanted tuh move 'um away from dere. yo' write dere name on dat aig. An' aftah yo' write dere name on dat aig, den yo' take it tuh dat dwelling place wheresomevah dey stay, an' jis' throw it down dere against de house as hard as yo' kin. Yo' see, an' yo' use de word: "In de Name of Jesus Christ, yo' shall go." Dat's one [dat] is true. Dey can't stay at dat place.
Entry 9182
Yo' kin take a black hen aig if yo' wanta make a person move. Yo' know, jes' lak yo' have a enemy nex' do' tuh yo' or somepin lak dat an' yo' want 'em tuh leave. Yo' take de black hen aig an' yo' put his name on it backwards [his last name first and his first name last]. Put his name on it backwards an' yo' throw it right at his steps where it will burst it. Yo' do dat between twelve an' one a'clock at night an' de nex' mawnin' when he git up he'll be rearin' tuh go.
Entry 9183
If somebody is troublin' yuh an' yo' don't wants 'em aroun' heah, yo' take a aig an' yo' write dey name on it nine times. An' yo' go tuh runnin' watah an' turn yuh back tuh it befo' yo' git tuh de watah, an' yo' make nine steps backwards tuh de watah an' yo' tell 'em, jes' call dey name: "Ah wants chew tuh go an' stay from aroun' me, In de Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, an' Name of de Holy Ghost." An' throw it ovah yuh left shouldah jis' as fur as yo' kin. Don't look back. Yo' walk right on off. Now, dat'll work. Dat will run yo' off.
Entry 9184
Well de thing tuh do when a person's in yore house in ordah tuh make dem move, dey say yo' go undah de house an' take a bar'l [barrel] hoop, an' cut it half in two an' bend it an' stick each end in de ground an' leave a circle [arch] above. Den dey said dig a deep hole an' take de yellah of two eggs an' put in dat hole, an' put three pennies an' covah it up wit dirt. Dey say on de third day dey'll move.
Entry 9185
Take a black hen aig an' write his name all ovah dat aig, an' place it right in de cellah where dey bed's at, up undah de house, an' dey goin' move out dere de nex' day- dey might move out dat night.
Entry 9186
Well, firs' yo' find out dat man's name, de birthday, when he wuz bo'n. Den yo' look ovah yore solah [solar] system among de sun, moon an' stars [examine the Zodiac] an' see whut sign he Wuz bo'n undah. Den yo' take soml thin' [informant writes on paper] an' put it in a bottle, maybe a quart bottle, an' put a aig down in it an' let dat yellah off [omit yolk] an' bury it right up undah de house wit de signs of him [his Zodiac sign]. An' dat man come back home. Dat's de fact [truth].
(You write his name on something, and what else do you put in that?)
Yeah, yo' write his name an' de sign an' evahthin' dat he wuz bo'n up undah. Yo' know some people's [bo'n undah Neptune - not Neptune, but Leo de Lion an' so on lak dat. Well, yo' find out all dat an' yo' write dat down. Den aftah yo git all dat wrote down, den yo' write, "Ah want's, " whoevah it's name, "tuh come back home, '' an' put it right ovah in de papah, an' wrap it up in dat aig an' bury it up undah de house, an' he comes back. [Since this is a rite to bring back a man, the egg white probably symbolizes semen.] [Memphis, Tenn., (1521) 2712:14.]
Entry 9187
Ah've: heard of 'em usin' a aig from a black hen. If dere's anything dat dey didn't want a person tuh do at de time dat dey had dat black hen's aig, dey take it an' carry it tuh de do wit a black cloth, an' hit it against de do' of de wall dere, an' dey couldn't go back in dat house. Dey would soon disappeah. Ah've hear'd tell of dat. (You said you put the black cloth around that egg.) [This rite is more seri- ous than merely driving out the dwellers within, it warns either move from the house or have a crepe on your door. Informant's word disappear has a direful meaning.]
Entry 9188
Wal, ah tell yo', a black hen could lay a aig an' yo' put it unnah [under] a white hen, an' de aig when it hatches is a white chicken.
The account names a white chicken as a claimed hatching outcome. The under gloss is editorial; no breeding rule or observed result is established.
Entry 9189
Dey say yo's kin git a black hen aig, dat wus fo' bad luck. Dey say if yo' git a black hen aig an' somebody take it an' break it, an place it roun' where yo' gotta travel ovah, say dat will put bad luck on yo' bad luck will follow yo'.
Entry 9190
Jes' lak if yo' an' a person sep- arate an' yo' want dat pusson tuh come back tuh yo'. Yo' take a aig an' take a needle an' jug it in yore fingah until it bleeds. An' write chure name on dis aig an' his name [with this blood] an' bury it undah de do'step an' dat'll bring him back tuh yo'.
Entry 9191
Whut ah heard dat dey could do wit chicken aigs. It's two or three diff'ren' ways tuh use chicken aigs. First, yo' kin take a chicken aig, a black hen aig, an' throw it on someone po'ch an' it'll cuz dem tuh move. Next, yo' could take a chicken aig an' write de name on it an' carry it out in de woods an' bury it, an' don't look back, an' it'll run 'em outa town. An' den... (Wait a minute! This second egg is a black chicken egg or any kind of chicken egg?) De firs' aig yo' throw in de house is a black chicken aig. De nex' aigs is any kinda aig, 80 long as it a fresh aig. Write her name on it an' carry it [out in de woods] an' bury it an' don't look back, an' come on [back home]. It run 'em outa town. Den, next - dat's de second aig. De nex' aig yo' kin take - yo' kin put it in blueing ovahnight an' hide it undah de house, an' [that] would cuz dem tuh be tire-nated [worn out] an' don' wanta be bothahed 'bout livin' in de neighbor- hood no mo'. Dey don't wanta live in de neighborhood no mo'. Dem de three aigs [3 things you can do with eggs].
(And the last egg is any kind of egg?)
De last aig is any kinda aig, but if yo' goin' tuh run yore neighbors....
Entry 9192
Well, jis' lak yo' wanta person tuh break up er [or] sompin lak dat. Yo' loved 'er. If yo' love a girl [and] de othah fellah - well yo' want 'er. Well yo' cain't git nex' tuh love 'er, yo' see, becuz dis man be's huh husban', she husban'. Why he might be a pure mahn, den yuh spirit might agree. Well, yo' wanta break dese parties up. Well, yo' go tuh work. Now, yo' may have [a] chicken layin', sompin lak dat. Yo' go tuh work an' yo' watch de chicken when de [they] lay. See, yo' git a fresh, fresh egg [at the] time dey drop it, [egg] leave de chicken, why yo' git dat egg: See. An' yo' take it tuh his house dat night an' throw it up jis' de hide [height] of de house an' let it fall right befo' de doah. An' aftah dat why yo' gotta have a broom, yo' unnahstan' [understand], an' sweep dat [away], see. Yo' sweep dat away from de house, see. Well, dat man'll continue goin', he'll be continue goin' until 'is min' [mind] will be changed until he leave dat woman.
Entry 9193
Ah know dis much about a nest of hen aigs, dat yo' kin go tuh work an' take a nest of hen aigs. Jes' lak, now, if ah wanted tuh really git chew, make yo' lost yore job, or git chew out wit anyone atall [at all], all de way roun' where yo' won't have any friends. Ah knew dat yo' kin take one of dose eggs outa dat nest, an yo' kin stand off an' yo' kin name 'em. Call dat aig a name. Jes' lak evahwhat are my name [whatever my name is], why den yo' call dat aig dat same name, an' set it back intuh de nest. An' den yo' will notice, see, jes' how many aigs. Well, de really fac' 'bout it, how many aigs yo' upsot wit dat. Yo' may really upsot two or three or fo'. One Way, dey says, crack 'em or break 'em wit dat [named egg]. An' dat will put chew where yo' can't git along wit nobody nowhere. Ah knews dat tuh be de fac'.
Entry 9194
Den yo' kin take a aig, a fresh laid aig dat de hen, de fowl, laid. Well, jes' so it's an' aig of some little fowl on de yard - guinea or turkey or fowl-hen, eithah one - so it fresh, laid tuhday. An' yo' kin take it an' go out, if dis person goin' roun' makin"sturb- ment wit chew an' havin' a con- fusion in de neighborhood. Call dere name, yo' have dere name down good in yore mind an' says, "Now, by de he'p of de true livin' God, ah want dis thing settled. Wham! Pow! Bamm!" He's set- tled, don' know anything 'bout dat 'tall.
(You hit him any place you want to?)
Any place.
Entry 9195
Ah heard dat yo' take coffee groun's an' egg shells an' yo' beat dat up wit salt, an' yo' put dat undah de step. An' as de persons who live in de house track dat, well dey'll be disagreeable an' dey wouldn't be in dat premises long. Dey'll move out in perhaps a few days.
Entry 9196
If yo' wants tuh git outa trouble or anything lak dat, dey say if yo' take a aig - some people say if yo' take de aig at twelve a'clock in de night an' write de person's name on dis aig, an' yo' kin eithah go in one cornah of yore house an' bus' dat aig In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost at twelve a'clock... An' some people say tuh go in fronta de co'thouse or de jailhouse or wheresomevah de person am, see. An' take de aig an' throw it ovah dat an' let it bust ovah de topa it.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Any kind from whut ah heard. Ah heard dat yo' kin take dis aig an' yo' kin take dat an' yo' kin make a wish In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Tell it whut chew want it tuh do fo' yuh an' bury it undah yore steps. Say dat will come true.
Entry 9197
Well, dey say dat chew could take a aig an' put yore name on it.
(Put my name on it if I am in jail.)
Yeah, put mah name on it, an' say two or three good words tuh it an' carry...
(What kind of good words?)
Well, ah fo'got now whut de words is [probably 3 Highest Names]. An' carry dat aig 'fo' de sunrise dat mawnin' an' bust it on de co'thouse steps, an' dat would change dere min' from whut dey wanta do tuh yo'. Dey wouldn't give yo' as heavy a fine as dey woulda. [For other egg rites at courthouse, see Nos.9006-9022, Pp.3656- 3660.
Entry 9198
Get a black hen's egg. Yo' take it an' write - make a mark across it, around it - an' aroun' de long side; de long side an' de round side, twice. An den go tuh a house, if yo' wanta make a person fall out, go tuh a house an' throw it ovah de house.
Entry 9199
If yo' Wanta go an' make 'way wit anybody or eithah make 'em leave home or such as dat, yo' could take a chick- en aig an' put cross marks on it. (One cross mark?) One cross mark dis way an' one dat way [demonstrates]. (Make one 'X on it?) Dat's right, an' take it an' bury it right down at dere do', an' dey gonna walk ovah it fo' nine days. Dat suppose tuh - if dey will continue tuh walk ovah dat fo' nine days, well it doesn't make way wit dem [kill them] but dey will leave.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Any kind. Don't care whut kind it is, cuz hit will go bad in nine days, an' whenevah it go bad an' bust, well dat's de end.
Entry 9200
Yo' take de black hen aig an' put a cross mark on it an' write de person name on it an' name, yo' say: De Son an' de Fathah an' de Holy Ghost, an' den if yo' in trouble, yo' turn yore back an' bust dat aig up by de tree, an' it break an' yore trouble break.